DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan on Friday repeated his party’s opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), saying medical admissions should be based only on Class 12 board marks. He said the entrance exam had harmed the school education system and favoured students who could afford expensive coaching.
He also criticised Karnataka’s position in the Cauvery water dispute ahead of proposed talks between leaders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in early August. Elangovan said the sharing of Cauvery water was governed by established riparian rights and that decisions on allocation could be taken only by the Tribunal and the Management Authority.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Elangovan said, “NEET has killed the students’ education in the school system. Students who score high marks consistently from Class 1 to Class 12 are unable to get medical seats, while those who pay huge sums to commercial coaching centres gain admission.”
He cited the case of Anitha, a student from Ariyalur district, who scored exceptional marks in her school finals but took her life after being denied a medical seat under NEET.
Elangovan said around nine lakh candidates had cleared NEET this year, while the total number of available seats was about 91,000. He said government colleges, with around 46,000 seats, followed merit ranks strictly, but claimed that many of the remaining 43,000 seats in private institutions often went to those with the financial capacity to pay rather than on merit. He said medical seats should be allotted purely on the basis of school final marks.
On the Cauvery dispute, Elangovan said, “International law dictates that upstream states cannot stop water flow to lower riparian states. Lower riparian areas must not be deprived of water.”
He said the Karnataka government did not have the authority to decide Cauvery water allocation on its own and that this power rested only with the appointed Tribunal and Management Authority. He also said unilateral projects such as the Mekedatu dam would cut off necessary water supplies to lower riparian areas including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
Elangovan’s remarks focused on two issues: the DMK’s continued demand for an end to NEET-based medical admissions and its stand that Cauvery water sharing must be decided under the existing legal and institutional framework.
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 24, 2026 15:45 IST
